INTERVIEW: Governor Choi explains how Olympic diplomacy works

Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon speaks during a Korea Times interview on Feb. 11 at the Main Press Center in PyeongChang. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Choi Moon-soon eases worries about inter-Korean relations at the expense of South Korea's US, Japan ties

By Kang Hyun-kyung

"Yesterday is the forgotten past. Let's move on."

Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon said he was struck by this comment made by the North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo-jong at a reception hosted by President Moon Jae-in during her three-day visit to South Korea on the occasion of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Governor Choi was one of the few politicians to meet Kim in person.

"She was unbelievably active," Choi said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Main Press Center in the rustic eastern city of PyeongChang, Feb. 11.

"We, South Koreans, are not familiar with the phrase that yesterday is the forgotten past, because we don't use it. It means let's move on from the confrontational past that lasted a decade (after liberal President Roh Moo-hyun left office). Inter-Korean relations were stuck amid military confrontations because of a hard-line North Korea policy. It is regrettable that dialogue was lost."

During her visit to South Korea, Kim Yo-jong stole the show. Her fashion, demeanor and speaking habits were most talked about.

Her chin was thrust forward, a trait some media outlets described as part of her elegance and confidence as a member of the North Korean "royal family." The media highlights of the North Korean lady peaked when she delivered a letter from her brother to President Moon, Feb. 10. In the letter, the North Korean leader proposed a summit with President Moon in Pyongyang.

Governor Choi said Kim was "bold and active."

"The way North Korea proposed the summit was unconventional," said the governor. "Unlike other summit proposals which we've experienced in the past, there was no such thing as a series of pre-summit, closed-door talks that continued for a while until the two sides reached an agreement about the details of the highest-level talks, such as agenda and venue."

This time, Choi noted the decision was top down which he commented was very unusual. "I think it reflects the North Korean leader's style. He is not bound by bureaucracy or red tape."

The governor said the North Korean leader hoped to lift inter-Korean relations back to the level they used to be in February 2008 when the five-year tenure of President Roh Moo-hyun was nearing its end.

Choi, who was working as president of broadcaster MBC, traveled to Pyongyang along with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for their historic concert in the North's capital, which drew heavy attention from the international media for its rarity.

Back then, Choi claimed the time was ripe for talks between the United States and North Korea and a North Korean orchestra was to make a reciprocal visit to New York for a performance there.

"The United States and North Korea were about to hold political talks if things had gone smoothly. But time was not on their side because of the government change," said Choi.

Conservative President Lee Myung-bak took power on Feb. 25, replacing the liberal president. "There has been no progress since. Inter-Korean relations drastically turned sour," said Choi.

According to the governor, President Moon is striving to turn the clock back to bring "the good old days for the two Koreas" back.

Choi said thawing tensions between the two Koreas was a precondition to building peace in East Asia, adding Kim Yo-jong's visit to South Korea was part of the Moon government's efforts to achieve reconciliation with North Korea during his tenure.

The North Korean leader's sister watched the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, Feb. 9. President Moon, his wife Kim Jung-sook, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were seated near them.

Olympic diplomacy was in full swing.

The Olympics brought the leaders of the United States and North Korea together but at odds with each other. Such a reunion didn't seem to be of great help in narrowing the differences in their stances on key diplomatic issues, including the North Korean nuclear program.

The uncomfortable atmosphere was seen throughout the U.S. vice president's visit.

Pence gave the cold shoulder to the North Koreans; he didn't make eye contact with them; his rhetoric was tough; he tried to build up pressure on North Korea by raising the issue of the inhumane treatment of their citizens; and urging the regime to give up the nuclear programs during a meeting with five North Korean defectors in Pyeongtaek before he headed to PyeongChang for the opening ceremony.

Pence refused to shake hands with North Korea's Kim Yong-nam at a Feb. 9 reception hosted by President Moon in the Olympic county when he briefly dropped by to greet foreign leaders at the head table.

His itinerary and political messages showed the United States is uncomfortable about what's going on between the two Koreas.

Inside South Korea, some are worried the Moon government is hurriedly trying to fix inter-Korean relations at the expense of South Korea's ties with the United States and Japan.

Governor Choi said he was aware of such criticism.

"Everything happened so quickly. Maybe this is why there are such worries," he said. "The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his willingness to send the delegation to the Olympics in his New Year address and his sister came down for the Olympics in February. It was just over a month between the two crucial events."

Due to its busy political schedule, Choi said it appears the Moon government had a hard time squeezing policy coordination meetings with the United States and Japan into it.

"I agree we South Koreans need to work more to convince the United States as well as Japan that the Moon government's pursuit of dialogue with North Korea will bear fruit," the governor said.

He said South Korea needs to help the United States and North Korea narrow their differences on the North's motives for possessing nuclear weapons and move them forward to sit down for negotiations.

"North Korea has a clear goal. It wants to normalize diplomatic relations with the United States and guarantee its security," he said. "The nuclear program is a means to achieve that goal. So I think it will follow the call to remove the nuclear program if this is necessary to achieve its ultimate goal of diplomatic relations with the United States."

Asked if he and likeminded liberal politicians were naive to believe North Korea would dismantle its nuclear programs if certain conditions were met, Choi noted that dialogue was the only option available to bring peace to East Asia.

"There are two options to solve the North Korean nuclear program _ dialogue or war," he said. "Nobody wants war on the Korean Peninsula and it's not an option we can take. This leaves us with only one option, which is dialogue."

Choi acknowledged times are now tougher for dialogue with North Korea because of the countries affected by its nuclear programs. On top of this the United States is wary of giving carrots at a time when the North was ready to conduct another nuclear test and turning a deaf ear to international condemnation of it launching missiles.

"But we have no other option but dialogue to keep persuading North Korea to stop its nuclear program," he said.

(责任编辑：行业动态)